“…unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” – Luke 13:3
To repent is to turn away from our sins, really desire to change who we are, and ask for forgiveness for what we’ve done. Sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59:2), therefore we need to call on God to take our sin away and bring us back into relationship with Him. Our Father in heaven is holy. He is righteous. He will not have anything to do with sin. What Jesus did while he was here brought us the gift of the holy spirit and that of repentance, which allows us to have a relationship with God. To get rid of your sin, you must truly want to get rid of it. It has to be more than just words; there must be a desire that comes from deep within your heart. There is a battle that is going on inside all of us. Jesus tells us in Luke 9:23 that we must continuously choose the spirit over the flesh by denying ourselves and taking up our cross daily. This battle continues for all of our life, which is why in Galatians 6:9 we are encouraged to “not grow weary of doing good.” It can be quite difficult to live in a world where everyone around you is doing seemingly whatever they want, and you continue day after day to deny your flesh and choose God’s will before your own, yet that is what we are called to do. “So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.’” – Luke 17:10 KJV
Luke instructs us not to be prideful about our sin and to come to God with a heart of repentance in Luke 3:8 (NKJV) – “Bring forth fruits worthy of repentance and begin not to say within yourselves, ‘we have Abraham for our father’: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. Similarly, John 9:41 explains that we remain in our sin because we are too arrogant to see it: “Jesus said to them, ‘If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.” We must humble ourselves and see our sin, so that we may repent of it.
The Bible tells us that “even the demons believe – and tremble!” (James 2:19), revealing that we are called for so much more than just saying that we believe and then continuing on the same as we were. We are told in 1 Peter 1:14, that as obedient children, we are not to conform ourselves to our lusts as we did in our ignorance when we were non-believers.
Consider the following verses:
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” – Matthew 7:21
“For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: “A dog returns to his own vomit,” and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.” – 2 Peter 2:20-22
“Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. – Luke 13:24
“For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. And again, ‘The Lord will judge His people.’ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” – Hebrews 10:26-31
God doesn’t expect perfection from us, but he also does not tolerate willful sin. We must have a repentant heart that allows God to change us and take away our sin (1 John 1:8-9). We need to ask Him to show us what in our lives is displeasing to Him and ask Him to change us into who He would want us to be. We need to ask this even if we believe we have conquered the physical sin in our lives, because as Jesus revealed to us during the Sermon on the Mount, we are called to have pure thoughts, as well. If we don’t ask God these things, we hit a road block in our walk with God and we end up with the bare minimum in our relationship with Him. Walking in repentance is how we become more like God and begin to reflect Him in our lives. Repentance is a gift from God and possible because of Jesus’ sacrifice, and it is how we develop the kind of relationship with God that shines into every part of our life and the lives of those around us. We should always be striving after, and focusing our thoughts on, righteousness and not our own desires:
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” – James 4:7
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” – Philippians 4:8
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” – Romans 12:2
“Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” – 2 Corinthians 10:5
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” – Isaiah 26:3
